Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 26, 1990 TAG: 9004260048
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TRACIE FELLERS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Sunshine. Warm weather. Dogwoods and daffodils. And let's not overlook one of the surest signs of the season.
Here's a clue - it's not gardening or spring cleaning. We're talking festivals. That's right, festivals.
You can kick off the festival season Saturday in Vinton, when the town hosts the 35th annual Vinton Dogwood Festival and the 14th annual Vinton Folklife Festival.
The two events were combined last year and proved successful in tandem, said Mary Beth Layman, Vinton special programs coordinator and folklife festival coordinator.
"I think it improved the quality of both festivals. It gave people more of a reason to make Vinton a destination on that day. I think part of the success was that it was so varied." she said.
Layman added that putting the events together gave festival-goers "many activities to draw from . . . traditional music to Top 40, cars to traditional skills. People come for different reasons."
Between 32,000 and 33,000 attended last year's festival, and 25,000 to 35,000 are expected to turn out for Saturday's shindig, said Anthony Conner, president of the Dogwood Festival.
Dubbed "Two Festivals In One," by organizers, the event will offer a host of activities for a variety of tastes.
Cyclists can get a jump on the day by entering the third annual Vinton Dogwood Bicycle Criterium at 8 a.m. Registration for the race starts at 6:30 a.m.; the fee is $8 for advance registration, $10 on race day. The course is a closed loop in downtown Vinton.
There are four categories, with a limit of 50 riders per category. Riders 13 to 17 years old will do 10 laps on the course for a total of 6 miles. Those in the 18-to-35 and 36-and-over groups will do 15 laps (9 miles.) Racers in the open category, which will include any riders licensed by the United States Cycling Federation, also will do 15 laps. All riders must wear bicycle helmets.
Trophies will be awarded to the first- and second-place female and male in each category. Each entrant will receive a T-shirt.
If you prefer tractors to bicycles, the festival's second annual antique tractor pull is set for 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. And from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., auto enthusiasts can take in an antique car show, a street rod show, and Volkswagen and Corvette shows.
The antique car show will be held in the Vinton Baptist Church parking lot, on the corner of Washington Avenue and Maple Street. Lee Street is the site for the other three shows.
If vehicles just aren't your thing, maybe you'd rather kick back and listen to some smooth spring sounds. From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., four acts will perform on-stage at the Vinton Municipal Building. They are: Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs, who recorded the original version of the classic "Stay"; the Robin Thompson Band; The Kings; and this year's Dogwood Festival Honor Band, which hails from Lewisburg High School in Lewisburg, W. Va.
At 2:30 p.m., other festival events will take a back seat to the annual Dogwood Festival Parade, which will feature over 115 units.
Vinton Folklife Festival activities will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Vinton War Memorial Grounds. Highlights include performances by singer, songwriter and comedian Randall Hylton, clogging and square dancing by the Brown Family Square Dancers and Southern Legacy II, and African storytelling and music with Greta Evans of WSLS (Channel 10). Hylton, an award-winning songwriter, charms audiences with original songs and homespun humor.
Other acts appearing at the folklife festival are:
Janette and Joe Carter, who will perform early mountain and traditional music.
The Fodrell Brothers, a blues duo.
Bluegrass groups Inheritance and the Konorock Country Critters.
The Alberti Flea Circus, one of the few flea circuses remaining in the Western Hemisphere.
The folklife festival also will feature old-fashioned games for children, varied exhibits, demonstrations of traditional crafts - such as shoemaking, and a Civil War camp reenactment. Craftspeople will demonstrate and sell handmade items - including baskets and wood carvings - and food will be sold at the War Memorial and along the parade route.
The folksy fun winds down with the Miss Vinton Dogwood Festival Pageant, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the William Byrd High School auditorium. The event is a preliminary to the Miss Virginia pageant. Admission is $4; tickets are available at the offices of the Vinton Messenger or at the door.
The Dogwood Festival Gala - a festive finishing touch to the day's activities - will honor the pageant winner and contestants. The party starts at 9:30 p.m. at the Lancerlot. Tickets are $25 per couple and are available at Cundiff's Drug Store or Sovran Bank in Vinton.
For more information, call 983-0613 Monday through Friday during business hours, or 890-0009 after 5 p.m.
by CNB